How To: Swing a Russian Kettlebell – Safely and Effectively (Read in Entirety)

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Swing – An Explosive, Hip Centric Movement

*Note – The Swing is a Hinge/Bend and you sit Back into your hips. A Squat is where you sit Down, like on the curb. Keep the Swing a Hinge!

The Swing is the Foundation of effective Russian Kettlebell Training. It has been called a ‘Fat Burning, Athlete Builder’ by World Renowned Strength Coach, Dan John. It will strip away unsightly fat, replace with lean, beautiful muscle and build strength from your toes to your nose. It can be awful, if done incorrectly, or AWESOME when executed with precision. Nothing else comes close. It teaches you to use your hips and not your back, while literally forcing all the muscles in your body to work in a harmonious, elegant manner. Especially the fountain of youth, Your Buns!

There are nuances of the Swing, I left out of the video. Also some other points, Like if you don’t have medical clearance, get it! If you are not an Instructor and someone new to the Swing, and whom this video is intended for, Instruction cannot cover All contingencies and is no substitute for common sense. Do not do this and get hurt. Approach this as gaining a new skill, something akin to a Martial Art. It will take time and diligence, it’s not just a sweat tool, at least Not all the time.

The Intro is 45 seconds, worth watching, but if you want the juicy stuff, skip ahead

Let me clarify my statement about ‘earning the right to do bad reps.’ Nobody earns that right. I simply understand my body and can demonstrate a bad technique without hurting myself. Again, I do not dig bad form or repetitions. I’m looking for that ‘perfect’ rep, whatever that means for you…
A Bad Swing is either squatty and the bell goes below the knees or stiff, bending over and no sitting back, like a ‘drinky bird’. An incoherent dismay of proper mechanics, to say the least. There are others, Like scooping your hips forward to move the weight, rounding your back, or swinging above head and wobbly. This person usually has a disconcerted expression on their face
A master Swinger is a sight to behold, Graceful and Sublime. The swing teaches power and how to reduce the forces of that power, focusing that power intently. Think Slingshot, where you ‘Play Chicken with your Zipper.’ Hike the kettlebell, above your knees, sit back as if reaching for a bench that isn’t quite there, loading up the hamstrings like a rubber band, then stand up and extend your hips and knees, brace your belly for a punch and watch it float. This person really enjoys what they’re doing, are calm from the neck up and game on from the neck down.
This creates uncanny injury prevention for your body, in particular the hips, back, legs, Shoulders and core. What else can burn fat, build rock muscle and keep you as resilient as an ox?  It really is that simple. That, however, does not imply easy.

If you’re reading this, maybe an instructor and watched the video, asking me about brace this, engage that, tension, tension, tension….I intended this video as a way to Simply get Started. Drinking from a fire hose is No Fun, neither is being bombarded with information. Even though I’ve supplied many finer points below, As good friend, Pat Flynn of ChroniclesofStrength.com would say ‘Less is More.’ So, Again, Simple…Just get started.

If you’re not sure, Don’t do it, send me a video of the first step and we’ll go from there – John@BairKnuckleStrength.com 

Over time, as you start to understand the subsequent movements leading up to to the swing, you will seek more information about the Swing. How to use it for Strength, Power and Conditioning. How to swing heavier etc. and guess what, that information will be right here, waiting for you. This post gives you a blueprint to build a foundation. Go, Build!

 Progressions

  •  Power Breathing (In through nose, out through mouth, breathe into ‘bladder’ deep belly)
  • Hip Hinge (Stick or Hands)
  • Sumo Dead lift/ 2 Hand
  • Pendulum Swing
  • Dead Swing
  • Two-Arm Swing
  •  One-Arm Swing (If this is tough, work on One arm dead lifts and Not rotating)

Standard Form

  1. The back is neutral. The neck is slightly extended or neutral on the downswing, gaze about 5-6.5ft in front of you on the floor (your height)
  2.  The heels, toes and balls of feet stay planted and the knees track the toes
  3.  Shoulders stay packed (‘bend’ the kb handle – armpit muscles engaged, like you’re breaking 2 pencils )
  4.  The KB handle stays above the knees during the backswing
  5.  The working arm is straight in the bottom position
  6.  There is no forward knee movement (increased dorsiflexion) on the upswing
  7.  The body forms a straight line on the top of the swing: Hips and Knees extend fully
  8. The KB forms an extension of the straight arm at the top of the swing
  9.  Bio-Mechanical Breathing Match
  10.  The abs and glutes visibly contract at the top of the swing
  11.  The kettlebell floats momentarily on the top of the swing

 A few notes:

  • Do Not Over grip the kettlebell. Instead think of your fingers as hooking onto the kettlebell, keeping your wrist straight.
  • You do not raise the kettlebell with your arms, you use the hips to power it up. The arms just pass the forces generated from the hips, think punch.
  • Keep a Big Chest – I should be able to read your shirt throughout the movement, even at the bottom.
  • Push your Hips back as if closing the car door with your butt
  • Fast & Loose Relaxation Drills – Shake your arms and legs vigorously, as if trying to shake off water and belly breathe in between sets, to bring Heart Rate down
  • There are more: Check Back Later, Again be smart and send me a question if you’re not sure: John@BairKnuckleStrength.com 

Beginner’s Programming:

  1. Do 1 Repetition of the first progression well, and then the next, etc.
  2. Practice a progression at a time and move on when it feels appropriate, you will know.
  3. If you feel you could do 50 clean repetitions of a progression, try another. Just do 50 sets of 1.
  4. Do Not Rush, Do Not get ‘Tired or Fatigued’ – Just get Better at the movement.
  5. A few reps here and there or for a 10-15 minute session, with rest in between, sets of no more than 10 at a time to keep power output good. That’s what burns the calories.
  6. A good goal is to work the progressions, get to 50 swings in 5 min or so and work that up to 150 with one weight, then if it feels good, go heavier and back to 50 reps. Work back to 150 etc…
  7. Focus on generating the most power per swing, not the most swings with the least power.
  8. Ladies will start with an 8k(18lb) –12k(26lb) Gents – 16k(35lb) – 20k(44lb) / Rule of thumb – Dead lift a Kettlebell and try to raise it in front of you with straight arms, to chest height. If you can, it’s too light, you need more weight to engage your hips. No 10lb swings please, A gallon of milk weighs 8. Another way to think of it is use an appropriate weight.
  9. And eat clean, like meat, veggies and fruits….and then tell me how you feel below in the comments section 🙂
  10. Did you Like the New Intro for my video?
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